Remember?
by Inksong
Summary: JenDrue. Set towards the end of season 4. Because that was a missed opportunity.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer: I don't own Dawson's Creek or any of the characters. I've just borrowed them for my own story.**

Grabbing her books, Jen closed her locker and, resigning herself to an hour of excruciating boredom, set off for math.

Negotiating a couple of gossiping girls, "−I know Drue's hot and everything but I totally had to break up with him..." Jen turned the corner, running smack-dab into a flock of perfectly coiffed, sinisterly perky cheerleaders.

Shrill giggling filled the halls as her books went flying. _Oh God, was it absolutely necessary that they colour coordinate their shoes?_ She pondered as she knelt down to retrieve them from the grubby lino, narrowly avoiding death by trampling, as the cheerleaders moved on.

A scruffy pair of guys sneakers loomed into view, "Well, you took your sweet time." she grumbled, "Where were you when I was being viciously attacked by the Barbie Brigade?" the sneakers, however, remained stoically silent. "Jack?" She glanced up to see Drue Valentine leering down at her.

"While you're down there Jenny..." he looked pointedly at his crotch. Standing up with excessively flailing elbows (_Damn he'd anticipated her_) she scowled up at him.

"Look Drue, I thought we agreed you'd stop stalking me"

"You mouth says leave, but your eyes say 'Take Me!'" Abruptly, he smushed her against him, ruffling her curls with his free hand. Infuriated, Jen pushed him away as hard as she could,

"God you're annoying" she hissed straightening her hair.

"You can just call me Drue, Lindley" he replied causing her to groan loudly.

"I see Satan never made good on that whole 'some wit for your soul' deal"

"Oh, Ow!" He clutched his chest, "That really hurts coming from 'Girl, Interrupted"

"Bite me Valentine"

"Where?"

She turned, striding away from him. Unfortunately, Drue quickly slid into step with her.

"Oh well that's just cruel, one of these days I could really take offense to behaviour like that."

Jen said nothing, figuring that perhaps 'ignore them and they'll go away' might actually apply in this case, after all, Drue had a short enough attention span.

Unfortunately he continued. "You know, all this denying we were ever friends is probably causing me huge psychological damage, would you recommend your councillor?"

"Oh I don't deny we were ever friends, but the fact that my counselling revolves around those years speaks volumes dontcha think?" Drue jumped in front of her, blocking the now empty staircase.

He looked seriously at her, "Do you even remember the good times we had?"

"Drue" She sighed "Let me go I'm late for class."

"Remember the expedition to find the perfect ice cream sundae? Or that time we crashed my parent's yacht party and spent the entire time on the roof, getting drunk under the stars?"

Mutely Jen shook her head. Drue gazed back with an odd look in his eyes, before settling on his trademark smirk.

"Don't you remember lying in the park mocking the sorts of people you now call friends, those sad small-town types whose entire lives revolve around their own pathetic little mini dramas, usually involving the girl next door and their best friend? Ring any bells?"

Too late Jen recognised it; his kamikaze look. He glanced over her shoulder at something. No someone. Dawson. He pushed past a stunned Jen, walking quickly away up the stairs.

"Dawson! Dawson wait!" Jen called vainly before rounding on a still smirking Drue. "You knew he was there didn't you!" Drue shrugged nonchalantly "Why the hell did you do that?" She yelled "What sort of twisted person are you, that you get enjoyment out of messing up my life?"

"Now, now. Aren't we being a little melodramatic?" He sneered patronisingly "Wonder boy'll get over it soon enough. Anyway it's so boring watching you lot be so nice to each other all the time."

"Go to hell!" And she too pushed past him up the stairs.

Drue just stood there for a moment watching her walk away, still not quite sure why he'd done that.


	2. Chapter 2

After that Jen's day really improve much.

She had to spend almost her entire lunchtime persuading Dawson that that wasn't how she really felt about him. _Why on earth he chose now to start listening to Drue she didn't know._

And then to cap it off, Jack had caught her briefly in the corridor to tell her he wouldn't be able to come over that night because he and Toby were going bowling.

_What sort of crap gay best friend goes bowling when he's clearly needed for a good bitching session? Well that was fine; she didn't need Jack to unwind. She had the place to herself, since Grams was gone-a-visiting for the weekend, she'd put on some angry chick music and dance her irritation out, then maybe run a bath and spend the rest of the evening becoming prune-like._

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

Frustrated, Drue kicked at his comforter where it had fallen from his messy bed.

Running his hands through his dark hair he continued pacing his room, it only took him three strides to reach the wall. _What the hell was she thinking?_

He turned on his heel and stomped back to his bed, slumping across it with his head hanging over the edge._ God, he was gunna go mad if he stayed here any longer. _

He briefly debated just taking off somewhere, anywhere, the further the better. _B__ut then it wasn't like before, when he had money to burn, and he didn't think there was much call for under-age bartenders anywhere he'd actually want to go. __Ok, so what about somewhere a little closer to home. Pity he hadn't actually made any proper friends since coming here. _

_Truth be told_ he admitted to himself_ there was only one person he could actually picture going to. Same person it'd always been._ Looking up, his gaze fell on framed photograph standing on his shelf. Three figures smiled mockingly back at him.

That decided it. He slammed the picture face down on his way out.

**Author's note:** This is my first fanfic so any tips or pointers would be really welcome. Anyway, hope you enjoyed it so far.


	3. Chapter 3

"Jen!" he managed before she slammed the door in his face. Pressing himself up against the door he whined "Liiiiiindley? Oh come on Jenny, Hunny bun? Babe?"

Trying a new tack he continued, "What, now you play hard to get? I've seen all those come-hither looks you've been giving−"The door opened suddenly, pitching him headfirst into Jen's chest. They both knew that somehow, this was his fault.

"What? What do you want asshole?" exasperated, she roughly pushed him off. Drue straightened up, flicking his dark hair out of his eyes and smirking, as he painfully suppressed the flood of 'Oooh you like it rough then?' comments.

"Jenny, Jenny, Jenny. Why all the aggression?" He leaned against the door frame "Can't a guy just pop round and visit his friend? A friend with whom he shared a whole childhood. A friend who he trusts with his deepest darkest secrets. A friend who...has a really hot rack", his piercing blue eyes moved appreciatively down her towel clad frame. "Good Lord Jen, who are you expecting?"

Smacking him round the head, Jen snapped, "First, eyes up here pervert" she gestured to her face, "Secondly; '**guy**' is a _very_ loose term, for someone, most people fondly refer to as Spawn of Satan and friend of mine you ain't. And thirdly, I wasn't expecting anyone, dimwit. I was dragged from my bath by some jerk pounding on my door; forgive me if finding clothes appropriate to your, obviously high moral standards wasn't tip top on my priority list."

Leaning closer she whispered "Now, if you want to retain the option to procreate, I suggest you disappear"

Drue stuck his foot out keeping the door open "I brought you a present..." he waggled a bottle of whiskey under her nose. After taking a moment to consider her options, Jen kneed him in the groin and closed the door.

Back in the bath Jen focused on allowing the hot water to soothe away the tension created by her latest run in with Drue 'Lucifer' Valentine.

_What was it about that guy that got under her skin so __much? _

_No she wasn't thinking about this...she would plan what to do with a Gram's free weekend..._

_That smarmy smile, ugh how much would she love to wipe it off his smug−__No! _

_Maybe she should invite Jack round..._

_Was it absolutely necessary that he always be plotting something, and never anything good..._

_Everyone! She should invite everyone r__ound Jack, Pacey, Joey, Dawson,__ Drue...No not Drue!_

_Yeah they could all rent a movie, it would be good healthy bonding experience...__unlike all those unhealthy ones with Drue. _

_Goddammit__! Why'd he have to know her so well?__ He'd seen her at her very worst;_ she shuddered as she thought back to some of her more appalling escapades.

_He'd even glimpsed that huge engulfing anger that seemed to dictate her every action in those twisted, confusing days. How much did she hate that he'd seen that? How much did she hate that she had no choice but to trust he wouldn't use it against her?_

Frustrated, she sank slowly under the water, only to sit back up, as the dulcet tones of, what appeared to be a cat, venting its frustration at being repeatedly beaten round the head with a violin.

Sighing in defeat she dragged herself out of the bath, then, dried and clothed in clean pyjamas and a bath robe, she wrenched open the front door -_maybe she could knock the cat out with a shoe-? _

The sight of a prostate Drue, draped across her porch, singing tunelessly, affronted her eyes. "...out here in the cold, the freezing cold all alone, why won't she even talk to me, gunna sit here all night...Jen Lindley's ignorin' me, ignorin', borin'..."

She threw the shoe.

"...snorin'- HEY! That very nearly hit me Lindley. Lucky for me, you always were a crap shot"

A stony silence met his remark. Studying his shoes, Drue took a breath and met her eyes "Look, okay, I um, I just wanted to apologise for earlier, for 'messing up your life'", he clarified. "So uh...Sorry" _He was actually being sincere! _Relenting slightly Jen accepted his apology,

"Okay...but you've never apologised for your random acts of sadism before, why now?"

Drue paused and an odd look flashed across his face, momentarily he looked completely lost, then shrugging he grimaced dramatically "Didn't you hear? Louise broke up with me and I wanted the comfort and guidance of a true friend."

Chewing her lip, Jen considered him, knowing this wasn't the whole story. Against her better judgement she walked back into the house.

"You want shots or mixers?"


	4. Chapter 4

"You know, I really loved her..." Drue pouted slightly as he looked up at Jen with a devastated expression on his face. The combination of the overly dramatic line and the utterly ridiculous pout finally sent Jen over the edge and she laughed openly at him.

Drue attempted a hurt expression coming up only with a bizarre smirk as he protested his devotion, "I did! I mean...she was really..." no longer able to keep a straight face, he too began to snigger, "Honestly! She was the love of my...", he looked up at Jen at the exact moment she let out a huge snort, locking eyes they both fell about laughing.

"You...You've...NEVER! Been in ...love" Jen spluttered, poking him in the stomach,

"Oof!" he doubled up "I know you're hot for me Jenny, but there's no need to physically assault me"

Laughing harder Jen continued to poke him, "Get over yourself Drue, cos Louise obviously has"

"Oooh...low blow Lindley" inching closer, he suddenly pounced on her, bellowing "you'll pay for it"

Grasping her wrists in one of his large hands, he began to tickle her furiously with the other. Jen squirmed, shrieking as she tried to break free from him. Managing to lose one of her hands, she started to pummel him mercilessly. "Ow, stop that! You evil wench!"

"Heartless bastard" Giving one last heave Jen knocked Drue off balance sending them both rolling to the floor. Lying in a tangle of blankets and limbs they collapsed onto each other giggling, until eventually; out of breath, they just lay there in companionable silence.

Drue's arm was round Jen's waist and absentmindedly he traced the bumps of her spine._ This was weird, they were acting like they used to back in New York, back when they were best friends, when they'd hang out into the early hours of the morning, flirting, talking about everything and nothing, then fall asleep on each other._

Half-heartedly she swatted at his arm, "I assume that this is all part another pitiful attempt to seduce me, possibly as part of a larger apocalyptic scheme"

"Why do you always assume I'm plotting something? Can't I do something with no ulterior motives just once?"

"Oh, so your turning up on my doorstep, with a bottle of whiskey and a pathetic sob story about being dumped and heartbroken, the _one_ night Grams is out of town, AND when I know full well that not only did Louise break up with you a full week ago, BUT, that she did so, only after she caught you with another girl at some keg party, is all just a coincidence?"

Glancing down at her Drue smirked, "Anyway, clearly the seduction is working" Languidly he stroked the length of her back, "Haven't I got you half naked and helpless?"

"If by that you mean fully clothed and trapped in a sheet then yes, I'm seduced" Jen rolled her eyes, as she struggled to extricate her arm enough to pull her shirt down, where it had ridden up in the fall.

Immediately Drue pulled it up again, "Don't cover yourself up Jenny, it's not like I haven't seen it all before- Ow!" She'd smacked him.

Flinching, as she raised her hand again, he quickly tugged the material back down. His fingertips lingered slightly too long on the smooth, sensitive skin of her stomach, and she felt a strange little shiver run up her spine.

Putting it down temperature, Jen shifted slightly, making herself more comfortable and a lock of her blonde hair fell across her face. Instinctively, Drue smoothed it back, tucking it behind her ear. There was that weird shiver again.

Glancing up at him, Jen was hit by a wave of despair for what their screwy parents had done to them both.

_God! It was like he was two people: the arrogant, always-stirring-up-trouble-for-his-own-amusement, yet somehow alluring swine he claimed to be, and that other guy._

The one she'd caught fleeting glimpses of back in New York. Only appearing when he'd had a particularly bad argument with his parents or -like that time he'd found her completely senseless on a cocktail of drugs (which ironically he'd bought her), naked and being aggressively groped by a man 20 years older than her- when she was in real trouble.

After knocking the guy out cold he'd wrapped her in a blanket and carried her back to her 'apartment in the sky', putting her carefully to bed.

Although she only remembered snatches of this, the feel of his hands brushing back her hair, and his lips on her forehead, as he wordlessly kissed her goodnight, had stayed with her as one of the few examples of genuine affection she'd received up till then.

The next day he was back to normal, of course, convincing her to skip school in favour of getting stoned in the park, and then completely blowing her off in favour of the latest hot girl he was after. Still, once in a while she'd catch him looking at her, with a feeling she couldn't quite make out in his eyes.

Focusing, she thought she caught that look again, but it was quickly replaced with Drue's trademark smirk, "Pray what, Ms Lindley, could you possibly thinking about that would require you to gaze into my eyes for such a _long_ period of time?"

Blushing, but not for the reasons Drue was thinking of, Jen struggled up and out of Drue's (and the blanket's) embrace.

"What? No I wasn't...Shit!" The half empty bottle of whiskey spilled its remaining contents across her carpet, "Grams has eyes like a hawk and that weird sixth sensey thing for trouble, she's bound to notice that stain"

Throwing a towel over it Drue resumed his former place on her bed but this time under her duvet, "So we'll deal with it in the morning, come to bed now Jenny" he said with a waggle of his eyebrows.

"Sorry to disappoint you Drue, dearest, but you're sleeping on the floor."

Immediately Drue stilled, closing his eyes and letting out a couple of snores. Rolling her eyes, Jen went to clean her teeth.

She was slightly less amused however, when returning, she found he still hadn't moved. After trying to push him off the bed failed, Jen gave up, and grumbling she snapped off the light and got into bed herself.

The darkness somehow magnified their proximity. Moving as far away as was physically possible she turned her back to him, but chuckling, Drue immediately slid his arm around her pulling her up against chest. Torn between options (elbow him in the stomach or –God help her-do nothing?) she settled for satisfying her curiosity.

"So why exactly are you here?"

"You already guessed, I finally gave in to your oh-so-subtle advances and decided to cut you a break"

Not bothering to even credit this with an answer, Jen just waited, knowing that he wouldn't be here if he didn't want to tell.

The silence lengthened as Drue struggled between keeping her at a distance he dictated and letting out what had plagued him all afternoon.

"My, er father dumped his latest _conquest_ and, well I found out today that he and my mother have been talking" he sneered "apparently for quite some time now, although God forbid my mother should mention this unimportant fact to her only child. Anyway, it turns out that they're going to make another go of it in New York, we leave after graduation. Of course _Daddy_ has made the required donations or peace talks wouldn't have gone ahead, in fact she's now the proud owner of a quaint little 16 bedroom house in the Hamptons complete with pool, tennis courts and staff , " he dropped his voice, "unfortunately I can't be bought so easily"

"You're moving?" Jen whispered her heart pounding as she turned to face him. _What? It's not like you weren't all going off to college in the fall anyway _the cynical side of her pointed out._ Yeah __but you'd kinda counted on __him being around for the summe__r__ and graduatio__n i__s so soon..._

"Miss you Jen" he stated by way of reply, "New York never was the same without you"

The look in his moonlit eyes made her seek out his hand to squeeze. Although, immediately embarrassed by the openness of the gesture, when she hadn't the excuse of inebriation to hide behind she quipped "Yeah, getting drunk's never the same alone and most evil schemes require a sidekick"

He chuckled bitterly but kept a hold on her hand.


	5. Chapter 5

Drue looked down at Jen as she lay sleeping in next to him, the only person he'd let himself care about, the girl he'd shared another lifetime with. _She looks __so young __asleep_ he was startled to notice.

Newly arrived in Capeside, that first time he'd seen her in school had been one of the most surreal moments of his life.

The smell of her shampoo hit him first, dragging him back. Back to those long, hazy afternoons they'd spent lying in the park, in the fleeting Manhattan sunshine, her hair fanned out in a gleaming halo amidst the browning grass, the taste of smoke and liquor, followed by blissful numbness, or rather an absence of thoughts.

Then, looking up he'd seen the familiar shape of her figure, the one he'd watched develop throughout middle school, as she walked towards him he recalled how it had felt pressed against him, as they danced ceaselessly at some rave or other. (He wouldn't remember how it had felt to kiss her, touch the places he'd looked at for so long, he refused to remember how she'd used him in that never ending battle with her dad.).

Yet she was changed, and that had frustrated him endlessly. No longer was she Jenny: popular, lusted after, gossiped about by all, the life and soul of every party and, of course completely messed up.

No, now she was _Jen_, part of the Brady Bunch, on the straight and narrow, her gorgeous body covered, far more than it had ever been before. _Why the hell did it bother him so much? This new__ Jen who clearly wanted to forgot him? It's not like he didn't have other friends, well acquaintances anyway. Problem was_he conceded _he found he liked this new J__en, perhaps even more than Jenny?_

Drue's reminiscing was cut short as Jen rolled over in her sleep, automatically snuggling into his shoulder, her arm thrown around his neck.

He froze. Amazing the feel of (even unconsciously) Jen wanting to be closer to him, amazing more how his heart thudded at the merest touch of her hand on his neck. Her face was right next to his and their breath mingled; hers smelled sweetly of her mint toothpaste.

Gingerly, he placed his hand on the curve of her waist and, after contemplating it for what seemed like hours, leant forward to kiss her forehead.

Sensing suddenly that she was awake he gave himself a thorough mental kicking before enquiring "Jen?"

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Jen was dreaming. She dreamt that someone was holding her, their arm was surrounding her and she could feel their heartbeat under her cheek.

The dream was laced though, in that strange way dreams sometimes are, with a scent that was long forgotten, yet comfortingly familiar.

In the dream she felt contented-at ease with the world. And in the dream someone kissed her goodnight−

"Jen?"

And she opened her eyes and the arm remained and the heartbeat had sped up and so had hers. The scent was Drue's and so was the heart.

And she wasn't running away, even though staying here laid her more open than any conversation ever had. Staying left her open to rejection.

And she lay there, one hand at his throat, fingers slowly threading into his hair, the other trapped between them. Knee's touching, toes touching, heart's thudding.

All the while emotions seethed and whirled. At some point, slowly, she lifted her face towards his and he rested his forehead against hers. And, so slowly, her breathing quickening, he drew her closer, her entire body pressed against his now, his breath, hot against her face, his lips on hers.

And then she was just feeling: his kiss, so soft, tasting faintly of whiskey and something indescribable, the way her heart ached, as he tenderly cupped her head and her body tingled as his tongue brushed hers, for the merest moment.

His lips trembled as he kissed her upper lip, lower lip, grazed her jaw line to sensitive spot just below her ear, his hand brushed her shoulder blades and she shivered before returning, his mouth to hers. This kiss, it dredged up exquisitely painful emotions for both of them, and yet it was with absolute, unbelievable tenderness that Drue kissed her.

And then, against her will, she was back reliving that night, the last time she'd seen Drue in Manhattan.

When she asked him up, his face had brightened with hope and he'd started, clumsily, to flirt with her until frustrated, she'd pulled him to her and kissed him.

Their kiss. Then it had been hard and angry, their mouths moving furiously round and round, tongue's duelling and bitterness souring his taste. She'd pushed him roughly down and in retaliation he'd bitten her lip slightly too hard. As their gaze met, the knot in her gut had wrenched tighter, she could hardly bear to look at the change she had wrought on his normally sparkling blue eyes; now emotionless mirrors of her own.

_He'd __known_, she recalled now, _he'd known then that that night was none of it, about him. _No, that night was all about parental revenge, and Drue, for once in his life, was just a pawn.

And then her father was there and he was shouting and so was she, just screaming and screaming at him but it wouldn't make a difference, it never did, and Drue was gone, spirited away before she had a chance to apologise.

A raw, guttural moan brought her back to the present. Putting her hands up to Drue's face to break the kiss they came away wet. That cry again, it sounded like an animal in pain, it rasped and whimpered.

As a tremor shook through her, she finally realised, the sound was her sobbing. Drue cradled her as the tears streamed down her face and she shook and heaved. Once or twice, she felt Drue shudder too, and a few hot tears tumbled into her hair. Clinging together, just two damaged children, they rode out the emotions.

Finally, exhausted yet soothed, she quietened,

"Drue?"

"Mmm?"

"I'm sorry"

"S'ok"

"...for last time I mean"

"I know Jenny Penny" She smiled at the old nickname.

"Drue?"

"Yeah?" She paused.

"Night"

"Night"

This time it was her that leant forward and kissed his forehead, and then she slept. When the sound of her breathing slowed and steadied, Drue sighed and in the barest of whispers he told her "You were wrong when you said I've never loved anyone before".

**A/N: Hey, I'm not too sure about this chapter, is it too soppy? plus i'm not really sure Drue's thoughts are in character :s also is the format readable, apart from going through and manually double spacing every line (I'm too lazy for that) I can't work out how to space it, lol. Any help or pointers really appreciated, thanky kindly :)**


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